When "Six Feet Under" first aired in 2001, people were adamant about the idea of a Family-Run Funeral home, of which is supposed to make good television drama and with its satirical dark humour and very real characters. It seemed like a lot to gauge for a show that would constantly display death. Then again, death is a touchy subject to everyone, where do we go, what of the soul and more importantly, how we deal with it, and do we ever deal with it.

Funnily enough the idea for this show is original, who ever had the idea first wins in that respect; they get to clarify an unlooked upbringing of a Family Business and way of life for those who `cater' the dearly departed.

Result; This great show has introduced us to the Fisher Family. A lovable, quirky, witty retort type of what can be called "dysfunctional" clique, which would evidently be used as a comparison for future generations of TV clans.

You may think it would be depressing, when in fact the show is surrounded in clairvoyance. The episodic structure follows that of some random loved (or unloved) person dying at the beginning of the episode through to the eventuality that the Fishers are the one who take care of the recently passed.

The Cast; An excellently played bunch of mishaps that are such a winning clich?? with each other that they come together to depict an idea of family. Peter Krause plays older extroverted son Nate Fisher Jr., named after his dearly departed father who starts off the first series (season). Nate is not built for the job but finds that being drafted as funeral director may have its merits. Nate also introduces us to his on and off love of his life Brenda Chenowith (Rachel Griffiths) whom is an Australian actor with a killing worked state-side accent. She's a pious talking sexually inhibited deviant and we love her, and she develops into a wonderfully woven character.

Middle child now fully licensed Funeral Director David Fisher (Michael C. Hall) a character pushed into a business role vacated by a late father, but doesn't gloat and makes it worth something to him. He plays the in-closet Homosexual whom is seeing his supportive and well played character and partner to be Keith Charles (Mathew St. Patrick). The grieving mother and wife, quirky and lovable Ruth Fisher, played by Frances Conroy who's variety of theatre acting pays off every little bit. And finally the youngest Claire Fisher, played by the gorgeous Lauren Ambrose, who just about reflects teenage life without giving off the false sense of adolescence played by stereotypical teens in say The OC. The inevitable wild-child, whose dalliances with an array of class A substances give us a comedy and just all round fun experiences.

Families on TV, especially American TV could learn much from this, and have. It's easy to spot the similarities in shows like "Dirty Sexy Money", "Dexter" and "Brothers & Sisters". TV drama found a mark that explored more boundaries than Scott Bakula did in Quantum Leap, more frontiers than Star Trek.
It's hard to go back to the atypical TV-centred families of so called modern life. A dark satirical backdrop of a Family-Run Funeral home opens up a more accurate approximation of current life and all its density.

Verdict:

Short but sweet, stays with you like the memory of a loved one. 10/10. Six Feet Under, you will be sadly and forever missed.

Never before have I seen something that has affected me and gripped me as much as Six Feet Under has. Right from series 1- series 5 I have never stopped loving the show. The plot and character development are flawless and I ended up watching all 63 episodes in about a month. I thought that shows like Lost and Prison Break were amazing before I watched this, but this has completely changed my perspective.
Just buy it,there is no way you will be disappointed...

I was given the first 2 series by a freind with no recomendation, just a straight swap for the brilliant Deadwood.
I eventually got around to watching the first episode and was subsequently hooked from then on in.
As other reviewers have unashamebly admitted, I was moved beyond belief by the deep and sometimes dark subject matter brought to life by the utterly brilliant cast.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys the seemingly endless stream of superior drama series coming from across the pond,(Sopranos, Deadwood, West Wing, Brothers and Sisters etc).

The last 3 episodes were quite the most brilliantly thought provoking peices of genius I have ever had the pleasure to witness on tv.

Excellent.

A quite wonderful story from Series 1 episode 1 to the final series 5 episode. I loved (and hated, in parts) the characters and lived their lives with them. The casting was faultless with some really captivating actors and a thoroughly believable and beguiling script.

Series 3, in my view, started to drag a little but then things picked up in series 4 and 5 and the last epsiode had me enraptured and not a little tearful as we said goodbye to the characters.

If you like to be entertained emotionally as well as cerebrally you will love the Fishers and their story.

I first got into watching this show while living in the states and was hooked from the get go, The underlying issues that the characters go through personally is gripping enough but to then be faced with the inside vision of how it must be like to run a family business where the only things around you that are live are the flowers was a real different concept for a tv show. You can forget all the other hit tv shows in a second when you move away from America but for me this is one of the top. All the actors fit right in with this show and If you have never seen this then buy it, sometimes sad, sometimes funny and sometimes downright weird its great how the writers have fresh ideas that keep you coming back time and time again....
I only wish there were more made of this show but I guess all good things come to an end and when they do they get buried, six feet under!